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Reflect? Or Forget?

Posted Jan 5, 2014
by Aaron Portzline
| 0 comments

The Blue Jackets had an off day today in Manhattan, resting up before playing the finale of a four-game road trip against the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden on Monday. Once again, for probably the fourth or fifth time this season, the Blue Jackets find themselves picking up a the pieces of a demoralizing loss.

On Saturday, the St. Louis Blues simply overwhelmed the Blue Jackets, scoring the final six goals in a 6-2 rout.

So far this season, the Blue Jackets have followed unsightly losses with strong performances. After a 7-0 loss in Edmonton on Nov. 19, they beat Calgary 2-1 in OT. After a 6-2 loss in Vancouver on Nov. 22, they routed Toronto 6-0. After allowing five third-period goals in a 5-4 loss to Philadelphia on Dec. 19, the Blue Jackets blew out the Flyers two days later by a 6-3 score.

It sets up for an interesting night in the Garden.

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, out with a groin injury since Dec. 3, will return to the lineup against the Rangers. The Blue Jackets went 7-6-1 with Curtis McElhinney and Mike McKenna in Bobrovsky's absence.

The Rangers will debut their latest acquisition, rabblerouser Dan Carcillo, whom they acquired from the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2014. Carcillo will want to make a first impression in his Rangers'/Garden debut, so fasten your seatbelts.

Blue Jackets left wing Matt Calvert (sprained shoulder) is not likely to play. It appears he'll wait until Friday's game vs. Carolina in Nationwide Arena.

Blue Jackets defenseman Dalton Prout (shoulder) is cleared to play, but was a healthy scratch on Saturday in St. Louis. The Blue Jackets like the way David Savard has played in recent games.

Side dishes:

-- Finland beat Sweden 3-2 in overtime today to win the IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden. It was a very good tournament for Blue Jackets' prospects. Sweden's G Oscar Dansk, the No. 31 overall pick in 2012 by the Blue Jackets, was selected as the top goaltender by the tournament's directorate. He was 6-1 and made several acrobatic saves. Sweden's Alexander Wennberg, the Blue Jackets' No. 14 overall pick last summer, was a dynamic player throughout, and was named Sweden's top offensive player in today's defeat.

-- Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen was in Sweden to scout the early days of the tournament, watching each team play twice. When he left, POHOP John Davidson arrived and watched the tournament through to its fruition.

-- The Rangers will be without former Blue Jackets right wing Derek Dorsett, who suffered a broken fibula on Friday. He's out six weeks, hence the Carcillo move.

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